Stephen Aloysius Leven

STEPHEN ALOYSIUS LEVEN

Born : April 30, 1905
Deceased : June 28, 1983

Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio, 1955-1969
Bishop of San Angelo, 1969-1979

Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio

Bishop of San Angelo

Official blazon

Origin/meaning

As common in US episcopal heraldry, the arms show the arms of the diocese impaled with the personal arms of the bishop.

The seven indentations in the coat of arms of Bishop Leven recall the Siebengebirge (seven hills) of the Rhine where the Bishop's father was born. The lion rampant is from the Leven family coat of arms. The crown recalls St. Stephen, the first martyr, the first baptismal patron of Bishop Leven.

The arrowhead on the breast of the lion refers to the Cherokee Outlet where the Bishop was born. The two bundles of wheat tell that Bishop Leven was born on a farm in Oklahoma which has a similar decoration on its State Seal.

The motto "Teaching and preaching Jesus Christ" is derived from the Act of the Apostles (5: 42) expressing briefly the ideals, the program of life, and the spirit of the Bishop.

The achievement is completed with the heraldic insignia of a prelate of the rank of bishop by instruction of the Holy See, of March 1969, confirmed in March 2001.